Marine vessels often include multiple engines harnessed together to drive one or more primary loads (e.g., propellers) and various auxiliary loads (e.g., HVAC, lighting, pumps, etc.). The engines can be mechanically connected to the loads or electrically connected to the loads by way of generators. In some applications, the loads of a vessel can be driven both mechanically and electrically in a hybrid arrangement.
In typical marine applications, all engines are simultaneously operated to produce about the same amount of power. For example, a particular marine vessel may have four identical engines each capable of producing about 5,000 kW. And during operation, all of the engines may be operated at the same level (e.g., at about 20% capacity) to evenly distribute the loads (e.g., to evenly distribute a 4,000 kW load). In some situations, however, an even distribution of the loads between the engines may not optimal. For instance, operating four engines at 20% capacity may be less fuel efficient, less responsive, and/or produce more emissions than operating only one of the engines at about 80% capacity or operating two engines at 30% capacity and one engine at 20% capacity.
An attempt at improving power generation efficiency is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0342020 of Blevins et al. that published on Dec. 26, 2013 (“the '020 publication”). In particular, the '020 publication discloses a power grid having a set of controllable generators and a grid controller. The grid controller is configured to determine current system load conditions of the power grid, to compute all possible load partitions between the generators associated with a total fuel consumption, and to identify a load partition with a minimum total fuel consumption from among all the possible load partition solutions. The load partition is determined from performance characterization models that are developed based on performance curves provided by the generator manufacturer, maintenance data, monitored performance data, and environmental data.
Although touted as an improvement over existing technologies, the power grid of the '020 publication may still be less than optimal. For example, it may be time consuming to compute all possible load partition solutions, resulting in system delays. Further, constantly computing and changing the load partition solutions each time the load conditions of the power grid change could result in unstable power grid conditions.
The disclosed power system is directed at overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the prior art.